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About cops, respectfully;
GatoGordo
Member Posts: 1,221 ✭✭✭✭✭
If you needed directions or had something you felt needed reporting and you saw a patrolman parked would you pull up next to him window-to-widow to talk to him? For the LEOs in the group: if this happened to you would you feel threatened or apprehensive and if so, what would you do? Thanks for the input.
Comments
I would help in whatever way I could.
In any interaction, a right thing to do is to keep your hands visible to the Officer.
That will be the last !
Ended up telling him to kiss my * .
If you need directions , go to the local fire dept .
They will show you courtesy .
I responded "When you're done with that phone call, you might want to call your dispatcher for someone to change your flat right-front tire. Have a nice day!"
I could hear him swearing at his flat tire as I drove off. [:D]
I haven't driven up next to them to ask directions.
However, family friend that taught me to shoot / hunt would frequently ask for directions to where ever we were going to shoot or hunt. Kinda gutsy in IL.
It always makes me nervous when I am approached so, but generally the person only wants directions or to report something. Once that is determined, the contact is conducted and concluded with courtesy.
The other time, I had been pulled over for speeding in my Jeep (which would have been a feat in and of itself) but I was positive that my odometer was on, and I knew that I had not been speeding. A few days later as I dropped my daughter off at school I saw a patrol car pulled over with the cop managing a speed gun, so I went around the block and pulled up opposite him and asked if he would do a speedometer check. Very nice, polite, and he had me at about 4 mph below what my odometer had. Yeah, I beat that ticket, too.
Both times I pulled up opposite them on the road and rolled my window down, and never had a problem.
pulled next to campus police to tell them that a traffic light just off campus was "short cycling", I figured it would be faster for him to make the report via radio than for me to contact 20 people in city services before I got the right one...
both said thank you and we went our separate ways, but this was in broad daylight in a little college town where nothing happens...
The heck with crooks, but normally they are just regular folks asking questions, while sometimes stupid or rude comments they are the public I have sworn to serve.
One thing I can't stand is a parent that says, "He is gonna take you away." I don't think that is productive for kids, they won't want to approach us later when they really need to.
When folks have pulled up and I go into a heightened condition like earlier mentioned, I am prepared for a violent response in order to protect myself. They don't know it, but you have to prepare for it.
Like I said, most are good folks, you just have to always remain alert and safe.
That being said, if you park in a position that lets someone approach you, you have a couple of options. Either open your car door, or draw and put your duty gun under a clipboard pointed through the door but out of sight.
If I approach a police officer, I would do so on foot, with my hands in front of me and palms open. I would walk so that I was plainly visible, and not in line with the vehicle I just left. I would stop about twenty feet away, and let the police officer acknowledge my approach and either motion me forward, or walk to me.
As for directions. Sometimes police are working an area they don't know (for instance sick relief). Sometimes they know only their beat, and where you are asking is not on their beat.
Sometimes they carry a map book. And it would be particularly nice if they dragged it out and looked up the street for you. Sometimes they are backed up ten radio calls and down 4 reports and may seem short and curt while talking to you.
But the main reason police are hired is that they can talk to people.
Margaret Thatcher
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
Mark Twain
I also teach them if there is contact, be polite to the man and respectful of the uniform and say only what you HAVE to say.
The guy at the local service station will be a lot more helpful than a cop anyway.
Clouder..
If I'm on my way to help out one of my guys in one of those 13 other counties I've got to look at a map or check GPS to know where the hell I am 90% of the time.
Only time I get upset when someone wants to talk to me, is when I'm sleeping.
If I'm awake....no problem. [:D]
It's a little annoying when someone wants to ask questions about the law when I'm in the middle of eating too.
I live in a speed trap state-South Carolina. Living on the border I also drive in Ga. They are not oriented toward ticket revenue the way Suoth Carolina is. That said, I see a good many more parked patrols in Ga. I have no problem asking for directions from them or reporting an incident. The comment I made about South Carolina is well known to anyone who lives here. And nationwide too. I am in no way criticizing the individual officer. He has no choice but to follow dept policy
I live in SC and never have received a ticket in this state. If you do not break the law then you do not get a ticket. I live on the SC/NC border and my last ticket was in NC about 20 years ago.
I am not a cop but with the way people are in this country I would be a little nervous if someone pulled up to my car to talk. There are no morals left in this country and people have gotten mean. To some of the gangs killing a cop is the highest honor you can have. You become a hero if you kill one. Unfortunately due to some crooked cops there are people out there who hate cops. One of the reasons I do not understand why cops cover for other cops.
The cops in my town are totally approachable. I wouldn't have a problem pulling up to one of them to talk to them.
We're not talking about a rent-a-cop on a golf cart at the trailer park, danny[:D]
Clouder..
Two classes of thoughts in my humble opinion;
1. Group of young people with bats and torches and a kill the commie cops sign in their hands? I probably am going to drive off.
2. Lil old couple looking at a map like they just ate a bag of prunes? It is almost clear that they probably are not going to hurt me.
I don't think it is that difficult to check folks out when they are walking up. I also always parked in a location that I could not get snuck up on, like in a corner of a parking lot, or something similar.
I don't really care to eat out because of all the silly / stupid comments made.
What was he supposed to do? What was the FTO's suggestion? I think driving off might render a complaint or someone fussing about that.
Two classes of thoughts in my humble opinion;
1. Group of young people with bats and torches and a kill the commie cops sign in their hands? I probably am going to drive off.
2. Lil old couple looking at a map like they just ate a bag of prunes? It is almost clear that they probably are not going to hurt me.
I don't think it is that difficult to check folks out when they are walking up. I also always parked in a location that I could not get snuck up on, like in a corner of a parking lot, or something similar.
I don't really care to eat out because of all the silly / stupid comments made.
I was an FTO for a while. I outlined what training calls for. I don't think it has changed much in the 16 years I've been retired.
Margaret Thatcher
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
Mark Twain